A U.S. Army OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter was spotted flying into the Georgia Ports Ocean Terminal earlier this week. While it’s not an everyday sight, it’s a reminder that, while Ocean Terminal — a secured, dedicated breakbulk and wheeled cargo facility located just west of the Talmadge Bridge — handles a range of commercial shipments, it’s also the port through which the 3rd Infantry Division moves on deployment.

Of the more than 300 seaports in the United States, the Department of Defense and the Department of Transportation have designated 15, including Savannah’s, as “strategic ports.”

In the event of a large-scale military deployment, the DOD would transport more than 95 percent of all equipment and supplies needed for military operations by sea, almost all of them through these ports.

The Kiowa is a two-seat, single-engine helicopter with a low-light television, thermal imaging system and a laser rangefinder/designator incorporated into a mast-mounted sight. It’s used primarily as a scout helicopter, finding and painting targets for armored aircraft.

No other information was available on how many were being shipped or where they were going.

But it’s just another reason busy Ocean Terminal might not be the optimal spot for a cruise port.

Encouraging stats

In his December monthly Logistics Market Snapshot, Page Siplon offered these encouraging seasonal statistics as we close out 2012 and get ready for what 2013 has in store:

• The U.S. GDP increased 2.7 percent in the third quarter of 2012, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

• A record 247 million shoppers visited stores and websites to make purchases over the Black Friday sales weekend. The number of shoppers was up 9 percent from the 226 million who shopped last year. Total spending over the four-day weekend reached a record $59.1 billion, a 13 percent increase over last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

• Black Friday online sales increased 28 percent year-over-year and surpassed $1 billion for the first time. Cyber Monday became the heaviest online spending day on record at $1.46 billion, a 17 percent increase over last year, according to com.Score Inc.

• FedEx shipped more than 19 million packages Dec. 10, making it the single busiest shipping day in company history. UPS was expecting its own peak shipping day Thursday, with more than 28 million packages delivered. For the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, UPS has forecast a total of 527 million packages delivered.

Imports up

Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports, including Savannah’s, is expected to increase nearly 4 percent this month, despite a strike that closed the nation’s largest port complex for the first few days of the month, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released this week by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

December is forecast at 1.27 million TEUs — or 20-foot container units — up 3.9 percent from last year, with January forecast at 1.31 million TEUs, up 2 percent from January 2012. February is expected to come in at 1.15 million, up 5.9 percent; March at 1.27 million, up 2 percent; and April at 1.35 million, up 3.2 percent.

Now that the West Coast strike has been resolved, retailers are keeping a close watch on a possible strike on the East and Gulf coasts.

“After a strong kickoff on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the holiday season is looking good, and these numbers reflect that,” said Jonathan Gold, NRF vice president for supply chain and customs policy.

“Nonetheless, we narrowly avoided what could have been a long-term disruption with the strike in Los Angeles and Long Beach and don’t want to run that risk on the East Coast and Gulf Coast.”

The contract extension between shippers and dockworker expires Dec. 29.

“We are continuing to urge labor, management and lawmakers to do whatever is necessary to keep our nation’s ports running smoothly,” Gold said.

Senior business reporter Mary Carr Mayle covers the ports for the Savannah Morning News. She can be reached at 912-652-0324 or at mary.mayle@savannahnow.com.

SHIPPING SCHEDULE

These are the ships expected to call on Georgia Ports Authority’s Garden City and Ocean Terminals in the next week. Sailing schedules are provided by Georgia Ports Authority and are subject to change.